When I look out in the back yard I can see 8 or so garden beds filled with wonderful soil - 4 x 8 feet plus one for the daughter which is a 4 x 4.  We spent the early morning hours out there today already, just myself and the 4 kids.. It was so peaceful and relaxing.  We were all still in our pajamas.  Mornings like these I feel so thankful they are home schooled.  This was a far cry from the harried, early morning, nothing going right jaunt to the bus stop that I remember. We scavenged the yard for remnants of the old garden.  Piper found a few onions and a couple strawberry plants that were missed from last year to plant in her new raised bed that she made herself.  I transplanted some bulbs and flowers into the new flower herb garden in the front.  Journey used the trowel to dig up weeds and plant them in the empty beds, mostly dandelions but a few sticks as well.  Danny planted wild strawberries in a bed until we build his garden.  He likes red flowers.  Inside the house there are Celosia and Morning Glories that he started well over a month ago.  Kheon my youngest is gonna be the trouble maker of the garden!  He's 14 months old and has just discovered two very dangerous things, digging and climbing.  Oh well I guess I'll have to plant a little extra to allow for sacrifices to childhood discoveries and experimentation.

Just four days ago I didn't think such a lovely morning would be in my future.

Saturday morning started out like most other days.  Except Gina was here and there was a plan involving two women, a truck, and a ridiculous amount of soil to be moved.  As we stood atop of the 33 yards of soil, shoveling it into the back of the truck I remember thinking how brilliant she was.  This was a great way to move the soil.  A whole bed at a time not 16 trips back and forth to the pile!  There was just one caveat.  My back yard is sand, lots of sand, and sand doesn't provide the greatest traction for a loaded truck. So, the truck got stuck.  No problem well just rent a bobcat, pull the truck out and fill all the beds.  Poof done! Not so easy, we almost had the truck out when all four tires on the bobcat started spinning.  And then there were two vehicles stuck.  My husband came home from picking up milk and was a bit upset to see a bobcat in the back yard (especially a stuck one) but he helped us free the truck and then we were able to dig the bobcat out of the hole it was in.  Okay now we were in business. Nope! I had the first load of dirt in the bucket about to dump it it the bed when we discover the front tire of the damn thing was flat, off the rim, stem ripped right from the tube.  Could anything else possibly go wrong? Hopefully not.

We cleaned the truck out (with the askew bumper {sorry Scott!})

Gina went home.

Men came to take away my toy - Bobcat.

And my husband and I spent the next day practically not speaking to each other hauling dirt into all the beds Gina and I had put togther.

Who knew gardening was so hard?

I sure hope next year is easier.

I do find it interesting how women can find the joy in a tough situation and enjoy each others company when men seem to see only 'problems'. I like to think my glass is always half full but Gina's take on the idea is better, her glass is overflowing.

I'm not sure if my husband knows where he left his glass.  It's been missing for some time now.